[...somewhere outside of Montfort...]

Soloman "The Snail" Nale was very worried, and he was making no attempt to hide it. The man paced nervously from one end of the room to the other, wringing his hands furiously in front of him. Despite the coolness of the night air, his dusty brown hair was plastered to his head with sweat. In the corner, his mage and friend, known only as Greel, sat in a padded chair and gazed into a large crystal sitting on the wooden table before him.

"Where ARE they?" said Soloman.

"To what 'they' are you referring? Your mercenaries, or the hit-squad that's out for our...your... blood?"

"That bastard said he would meet us here! He said he knew were the place was! Where is he!"

Greel frowned into the crystal.

"Nothing out there. No movement or magic for miles."

"I don't know whether to worry or rejoice."

"Both would be appropriate. Or neither. About this man you hired-"

"He said he'd BE here!"

"Can you trust him?"

"He hasn't gotten any money yet, if that's what you mean. He and his men will show or they won't get paid."

"Why wait at all? You could have hired someone local."

"You're new at this, Greel. We need the element of surprise... Anyone in Montfort would already be a known element."

"What about that woman who came to us?"

"She couldn't protect Sinterbourne, so what makes you think she can protect me!"

"...and now she's working for the enemy. If she's good enough for December to hire then she must be very good indeed. We could have had her on our side."

"Spilt milk, Greel. We've got to go forward from where we are now, not concentrate on what happened before."

"Whatever you say."

"Anything?"

Greel studied the crystal.

"Nothing."

"Damn."

"You could have just given him what he wanted-"

"I don't want to hear that, Greel. It's a matter of pride."

"If I recall, that's what brought Sinterbourne down."

"I'm not Sinterbourne. He was an idiot. I'm taking the only steps I can to ensure my continued survival.... I'm getting the HELL out of Montfort and I'm hiring the best I can find to protect me!"

"-IF they arrive in time."

"They'll be here. Besides... I've got fifteen of my best men in the front room and three outside this back door."

"'Best men'?"

"Well... the ones stupid enough to go along with this. And I've got you. Your magic'll keep them out, right?"

"I didn't say that. I said we'd know when they came... not that I could keep them from coming. Perhaps you should go and check on your 'guards' and make sure they're awake."

Soloman nodded and opened the door and stuck his head into cabin's other room. Of his fifteen armed guards, seven were asleep and snoring loudly.

"What's is this!" Soloman shouted.

"Guarding in shifts," replied one of the guards. A gruff man with a large halberd.

"No! I want EVERYONE awake!"

"What? Something coming?"

"Just DO it!" Grumbling, the sleeping guards awoke and reached for their weapons. Some of them sneered at Soloman. He sneered back.

"Soloman!" Greel shouted from the back room. "Something's-"

The rest of the sentence was lost in the din of the front door being kicked in.

"AIIIIGH!!!" screamed Soloman. As three figures entered the cabin, Soloman ducked back into the rear room and slammed the door.

"THEY'RE HERE! What the HELL kind of an advanced warning was THAT!"

"I-I..." Greel leapt to his feet and began preparing spells.

"I wouldn't do that if I were, you." said a voice that belonged to neither Greel nor Soloman. They both looked toward the cabin's rear door, and there stood the most ridiculous man either of them had ever seen.

The mage was short, and about twice as large as was healthy for his height. He wore a garish purple and green mage's robe that made their eyes throb when the looked directly at it. Unkempt, dark brown hair framed a puffy, red face that grinned back at them with all the sincerity of a man who had partaken of one-to-many beers.

"Surprise!" shouted Lovvorn. "And I bet you thought we weren't going to make it."

"YOU!" screeched Greel.

"ME!" Lovvorn mocked him. Lovvorn stepped into the cabin and away from the door, leaving Soloman with a clear escape route.

"HA!" Without hesitation, Soloman bolted.

"Wait!" said Greel, but he was too late. Soloman ran out the door and disappeared into the night. No one seemed to notice the empty spaces where the three rear-guards were supposed to be standing.

"Oh, don't worry about him," said Lovvorn. "I came to see you, old man."

"How did you sneak past my-"

"Because I'm just BETTER than you, that's how. No offense."

"Damn you!"

"Oh, I'm sorry... I forgot how you hate to be out-done. Especially by a drunken sot like me. Oh well-"

Greel thrust his hands forward and released a blast of green mage-fire and shot towards the smiling buffoon. Lovvon's smile vanished

"Oh, dear..."

------

Meanwhile, in the front room, the three intruders paused in the doorway.

The first was huge, hulk of a man. Hars was not very tall, but the width of his shoulders easily matched his height. The red-haired co-leader of the Night's Bloom drew both of his swords from their scabbards and scowled at the guards.

The second was a woman... tall and muscular, with flawless skin that was the color of chocolate. Her black leather armor was form-fitting to say the least, and the bodice barely contained her ample bosoms. Zade reached for the black whip that was coiled at her side... at its tip was a small, hooked blade that glinted wickedly in the light. She ran her finger across the edge and smiled.

The last, a brown-haired scruff of a man, simply reached into his pocket and pulled out a narrow, four-inch dagger. Eric Hood gave the guards a sarcastic smile as he began twirling the dagger between his fingertips.

"Fifteen of them," said Zade, "And only three of us."

"Just stay out of my way." said Eric.

"S'Funny... I was just going to tell you lads the same thing." replied Hars. He looked over at Eric and his dagger. "Mr. Hood, what'dya think you're going ta do with that pig-sticker ya got there?"

"I'm going to kill some people."

"GET THEM!!!" shouted the leader of Soloman's guards. Men rushed forward. Hars stood and waited for the first man who dared attack him. Beside him, Zade unfurled her whip in one, fluid motion while Eric simply ducked into the approaching mass of men and disappeared.

In seconds, the sounds of combat and death filled the night

----

[Lovvorn and Greel]

Lovvorn popped into existence on the other side of the room just as the fake image he had created was consumed by Greel's blast.

"Now that wasn't very nice," said Lovvorn. "And after I've come all this way to see you, too. How rude."

Greel spun to face him.

"Of course you always, WERE a hot-head."

"You Bastard!"

"Oh, Greel. Don't tell me you're still upset over that business with your wife, are you? But that was so long ago... and honestly, we didn't MEAN to upset you. She told me that you weren't due home for another three hours-"

Again, green mage-fire arced through the air. This time, it played harmlessly around the force-field that Lovvorn had erected around himself. Lovvorn made an exaggerated yawn.

"Aren't you even going to FIGHT me!" howled Greel.

"Fight? Oh heavens no! I leave that stuff to them..."

The colorful mage paused for a moment and listened to the sounds of heated combat in the next room. Then he began circling Greel like a vulture. His boot-heels clicked nosily on the wooden floor. Greel scowled at him, keeping the Lovvorn in sight at all times.

"...besides, it wouldn't be a very fair fight. Thanks to you and your cronies I got kicked out of the mage's academy long before I could learn the more destructive bits. Had to finish my education myself, you know. Never could get the hang of that green fire thingy you just did-"

"You were a drunken DISGRACE! You STILL ARE!"

"And you never were a very good teacher, Greel. But of course you knew that. Didn't you? I mean... did it REALLY come as a surprise when they kicked YOU out?" Lovvorn began shuffling his feet and scraping his heels, making an noise that annoyed Greel to no end...

"Stop That!"

"...and NOW look at you. Oh, how far we have fallen. Magical support to a low-rate hustler like Snail.."

"What do you want, Lovvorn?"

"Why MONEY, of course. Mr. Snail owes quite a bit to my employer." Lovvorn continued to circle his former instructor, scraping his feet on the floor as he moved...

"Soloman Nale owes December NOTHING."

"Well not directly... but he did owe Sinterbourne a rather large sum of gold. And since December has taken over Sinty-Boy's operation, that means Big Frosty is now the holder of that debt. I'm sure Eric explained it all before you suddenly decided to leave town and throw this little party out in the woods..."

"Sinterbourne had NO intention of collecting that debt. It was a gentlemen's agreemen-"

"Oh, BAH! Why are you standing up for Snail when at the first sign of trouble he left you high and dry? MY employer would NEVER... well... actually he would, but that's beside the point."

"What IS the point?"

"The point is.... well I don't really HAVE a point, but-"

"Enough!" Greel prepared another blast; his eyes glowed green.

"Oh, wait... does this mean you're going to try and kill me again?"

---

[...in the front room...]

*CRACK*

A guard fell, clutching the jagged hole where his throat used to be. Another sword-wielding guard appeared on Zade's left. He was too close for her to make effective use of her whip, so she spun and planted the heel of her foot in the man's midsection, knocking the air out of him and arresting his strike in mid-swing. A front-kick to the chin sent the man flying backward.

"Which one of you boys is NEXT!" she yelled, clearly enjoying herself. She ducked, and a sword passed harmlessly over her head. A groin-punch took the fight out of the man. Zade stood and stepped behind him. She grabbed his chin and snapped his neck with a twist. Then she spun the twitching body around used it as a shield against the next attacker. As the guard's sword glanced off of the corpse's breast-plate, Zade knew without looking that someone was coming up from behind. She shoved her human shield toward the first attacker and spun to deal with the second. Her whip lashed out again...

*CRACK*

The leather strap wrapped itself around the man's left leg. A sharp yank snatched the man off of his feet. He was trying to rise when Zade's kick broke two of his ribs and returned him to the floor. A boot on his neck made sure he stayed there while Zade dealt with his comrade...

...

With a sword in each hand, Hars was easily handling two opponents at once. He kept his attention broad, not focusing on totally either of them, and his highly-trained fighting skills did the rest. Hars was in his element... multiple-opponent combat was his specialty. He toyed with them for a while, exchanging strikes and counter-blows... slashes, jabs, and blocks and parries. Then with fierce chop he literally disarmed one of them. The other rushed in and impaled himself on Hars' second blade.

"Amateurs." grumbled the fighter. He scanned the room for signs of his comrades. Zade had her whip wrapped around one man's neck and was punching him to death while her boot rested on the neck of another struggling opponent. Clumsy, but effective.

"And where's Mr. Hood and his little knife?"

There was a scream from the other side of the room. It lasted only an instant before it was cut off, but it was followed by another pained yell from a different man. And then another. Hars couldn't see much through the crowd, but he did catch sight of what looked like a few freshly severed fingers rolling across the floor. They were followed by an ear, and then by something completely unrecognizable.

"What the Hell is he Doing?!?"

"HAAAA!!!" Another guard, a burly man wielding a halberd, charged toward Hars.

"What? Just one, then? All right..."

Sparks flew as the two engaged in combat.

-----

[Lovvorn and Greel]

The air around Lovvorn sparked and shimmered as his force field neutralized Greel's attack.

Tired and sweating, Greel relented. He dropped his hands and the bolt of mage-fire ended.

"You see, Greel," said Lovvorn. He was still circling the older mage, dragging his boot-heels across the floor. "As a natural-born coward, it only makes sense for me to have the best protective magic. I don't think you'll be breaking this force field any time soon."

"Parlor Tricks!"

"Well YOU'RE the one puffing and wheezing. Kind of reminds me of Mrs. Greel-"

"BASTARD!"

"But I DO have a lovely pair of boots, don't I?"

"What?" Greel stared into Lovvorn's eyes.

"Go ahead. Look."

Greel just frowned.

"Go on..."

"A trick!"

"Oh, they're just BOOTS, Greel, they're not going to BITE you!"

Just for an instant, Greel lowered his eyes. There was absolutely nothing special about Lovvorn's boots, however the intricate design that they had created on the floor was another matter entirely. Lovvorn's scraping had carved a mage's circle, compete with containment runes, with Greel standing in the center. He was trapped.

"Like the handiwork? Or should I say 'footwork'?"

"ARRRGH!" Angered, Greel prepared to blast Lovvorn again, this time placing the full force of his power behind it.

"I wouldn't do that-"

When the green fire hit the containment circle, the power rebounded back inside. Greel realized his fatal error, but only had time for a surprised gasp before his own fire reached his body and erased him from existence.

"He never was a very smart man," said Lovvorn. He looked down at the pile of ashes on the floor and shook his head. "Mrs. Greel always said your temper would be the death of you..."

---

[Soloman]

Soloman Nale ran and pushed his way through the undergrowth as fast as he feet would take him. He had no idea where he was going, but he knew that staying at the cabin was suicide. Still, he wished he had taken time to secure a light. The moon was just a day or so away from being full, so it provided some illumination... but it wasn't enough for him to even *begin* to tell where he was.

He was leaping over a bush when something caught his foot.

"OOOFF!"

He hit the ground hard. He stood up and shook his head, cursing his clumsiness first, his luck second, and December third.

"Where are those damned mercenaries..." he mumbled as he tried to select the best path.

Something rattled near his foot.

"ts-tss-tsss-tsss-TSSSSS!"

SNAKE!

He looked down, but saw nothing there. The sound continued, but it was a few feet in front of him, now. It sounded exactly like a rattlesnake... only louder.

Much louder.

Waaay Too Damned Loud.

"AAAHHH!" The snake-thing burst from the ground like a fountain of scales. It was like a snake... only the head was...

"MY GODS!"

A man! The snake had a man's head!

Soloman screamed, turned, and ran...

Right into the 7' tall pile of bones draped with leathery skin. The necromancer's gaunt features were exactly like those that glared forth from the monstrous snake. N'Doki looked down at Soloman and smiled, revealing a row of teeth that had all been filed down into sharp points.

"Greetings, Mister Soloman. December sends his regards..."

"No!"

"Yerro." N'Doki's black eyes glowed red for an instant.

Soloman tried to run, but his limbs wouldn't respond. He was paralyzed.

"Please! I'll pay him the money! Please let me go!"

"Tis a bit too late for dat, now. Dis is a matter of principle. No one runs from December."

"Please!"

N'Doki's smile widened as his snake-beast approached Soloman from behind. Venom dripped from the needle-like fangs.

"No! PLEEEEE-"

Soloman's screams ended suddenly. They were followed by a sinister rustling in the grass and the loud, unmistakable sounds of bones cracking.

---

[Lovvorn]

After the fighting ended in the next room, Lovvorn opened the door and walked in. The floor was littered with bodies. Most wore armor and were still holding onto their weapons. A few were missing some pieces... fingers, arms... heads.

Zade, Hars, and Eric stood cleaning their weapons near the front door. They turned toward Lovvorn as he entered.

"Well," said the mage. "How many?"

"Three." said Hars. He thrust his swords back into their scabbards.

"Four." said Zade as she curled her whip and returned it to her side.

"Eight." said Eric.

"EIGHT!" Hars and Zade howled incredulously.

"Just eight?" said Lovvorn. "You must be getting old, Eric."

"These two got in my way."

"Did not!" snapped Zade.

"Anybody see Nale?" asked Eric

"He ran like the screaming coward that he is. Not that there's anything wrong with being a coward. N'Doki probably took care of him."

"And the mage?"

Lovvorn smiled.

"All right. Lovvorn, zap us back to town."

"Well, it's such a lovely night I thought it would be lovely if we all walked back."

"Lovvorn..." Zade hissed through clenched teeth.

"Oh come on... " Lovvorn eased up to Zade and arched his eyebrows at her. "Moon-lit night. Just you and me... You know I had the most interesting dream last night. You were in it, of course. You and those two lovely-"

"Lovvorn!"

"-of yours. All firm and-"

"Lovvorn!" Hars grabbed the mage by the back of the neck and lifted him up onto his toes. "I've got Night's Bloom business to attend to."

"And I've got to meet with the boss." added Eric. "Besides... it's almost midnight and you've only had... what... six or seven drinks?"

"Zounds! I sense sobriety returning already! I'll dry up and blow away! Since you put it like that..."

Lovvorn made a motion with his hands and the quartet began to slowly fade from view.

"We didn't do too bad, here. Boss'll be pleased." said Eric.

"That's because we ARE bad!" said Lovvorn. "They should make a song about us, you know... Bad Boys, Bad Boys... whatcha gonna doooo..."

"SHUT UP, LOVVORN!"